1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for controlling file processing in a computer such as a personal computer (also referred to as a xe2x80x9cPCxe2x80x9d).
Various data such as document data, image data, and speech data stored in a personal computer is usually stored in units referred to as xe2x80x9cfilesxe2x80x9d. Individual distinctive names, that is, file names are assigned to these files. A user retrieves a file in which data it wants is stored by the file name to have the data displayed on a display of the personal computer.
The present invention describes a method for searching for a file name and displaying the content of the related file on the screen as mentioned above or a method for other processing, that is, a method for controlling the processing of file.
2. Description of the Related Art
When a user desires to open up a file on a personal computer, generally he or she starts up file control software. When this file control software is started, the file names of the large number of files stored in the personal computer are displayed on the screen in the form of a hierarchical structure. The user searches for the name of the file he or she desires from among the variety of displayed file names and when finding the file name, executes an xe2x80x9cOPENxe2x80x9d command. By the execution of this xe2x80x9cOPENxe2x80x9d command, the user can view the content of the desired file on the screen.
Personal computers are utilized in an extremely large number of ways, but are particularly frequently used in the following two manners (i) and (ii):
(i) A predetermined program is executed with respect to an input file A, then an output file is created. In this manner of use, a message for notifying the user that the output file B has been created is displayed on the screen of the personal computer.
(ii) Text comprising sentences containing one or more file names is displayed on the screen of the personal computer and the user reads the content of the text.
In the manner of use (i), when viewing the above notified message, users frequently desire to confirm the content of the created output file B described therein.
Further, in the manner of use (ii), users frequently desire to confirm the content of the file having the above file name described in the text.
When desiring to confirm the content of the file in the above way, the user newly starts a file opening operation for confirming the content of the related file. At the commencement of this file opening operation, the user first memorizes the related file name. Then, as already mentioned, the user performs the series of following file opening operations comprising:
(1) Starting up the file control software;
(2) Searching for a file name matching with the one memorized from the variety of file names displayed in the hierarchical structure;
(3) Executing the xe2x80x9cOPENxe2x80x9d command when the matching file name is found; and
(4) Viewing the content of the desired file opened by the execution of the command.
As explained above, in both of a case where the file name is described in a notified message and a case where the file name is described in the text being read, the user cannot immediately open the file having that file name to display its content on the screen. Namely, in order to display the content of the file having that file name on the screen, the user must re-commence the above file opening operation and perform the above series of operations (1), (2), (3), and (4). This series of operations requires for example 10 or more seconds, so has the problem of forcing a troublesome personal computer operation and un pleasant waiting time on the user.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method for controlling file processing in a computer enabling easy and convenient file operations from a file name on a display without forcing troublesome computer operation or unpleasant waiting time on the user and a data processing apparatus and a storage medium for the same.
To attain the above object, the method for controlling file processing of the present invention comprises the steps of providing information for identifying a file name in a message or a text when a file name is contained in a message for notifying a result of processing or a text created on the basis of text to be processed; detecting an indication with respect to the file name; and executing processing on the file identified by the related file name.
By this, when the file name described in the message or text is displayed on the screen of the personal computer, it is possible to execute various processing on the related file without the troublesome operation which was required in the related art.